WIMBLEDON, England  The last time Venus Williams won Wimbledon, she was reading the third Harry Potter book. That was only two years ago, but it must seem like a lifetime for the former No. 1-ranked women's player.

Venus Williams fires a return to Katarina Srebotnik from Slovenia during their second-round match. Williams won 6-4, 6-1.

By Dave Caulkin, AP

Asked if she was reading the latest Potter book hot off the press here, she said no. "I might be a little old now. I'm 23. I've got to really focus on things that are going to enrich my life a little more."

She returned to Centre Court at the All England Club on Wednesday and enriched her sagging tennis game. Ignited by a backhand crosscourt winner she delivered at 3-3 in the first set, she broke serve for the first time and fired off an efficient 6-4, 6-1 victory over Katarina Srebotnik of Slovenia to move into the third round.

Even Williams, subdued and low-key by nature, said she was pleased with the shot. It was vintage Venus, the kind of winner that delivered Wimbledon and U.S. Open titles in 2000 and 2001.

"That was just a wonderful shot," she said, atypically animated and emotional. "That definitely helped."

Her two straight-sets victories here have also helped her confidence, desperately in need of a boost. "I'm definitely feeling good about my game," she said.

That wasn't the case coming into Wimbledon. She arrived at one of her favorite venues with questions about her health and her game vulnerable.

She opened the year reaching the final of the Australian Open, in which she lost her fourth consecutive Grand Slam final to her younger sister Serena, and then won at Antwerp, her first title in six months. But she has struggled since.

In Miami, she lost to No. 22 Meghann Shaughnessy in the fourth round; in Warsaw, she reached the final against Amelie Mauresmo but retired with a strained stomach muscle; in Paris, still bothered by the injury, she suffered her earliest Grand Slam exit since 2001 with a fourth-round loss to Vera Zvonareva. The setbacks slipped her to No. 4, her lowest ranking since November 2001.

But she said Paris is behind her, and so is the injury. "I'm feeling good."

She's also feeling motivated, a dangerous signal to everyone from her sister to French Open finalists Kim Clijsters and Justine Henin-Hardenne — both from Belgium and ranked second and third, respectively — to Maria Sharapova, the new Russian on the block. Dropping to No. 4 hasn't settled well. "It's never fun to be No. 4, especially if you've been No. 1 before," said Williams. "I'll do my best to get back in the rankings."

Even before Williams won her first match, Richard Williams, her father and coach, said he sensed her old presence back. That's dad, she said. "He's always really positive, so he always says nice things, especially if I'm not playing that well, so that I can feel good."

So what does she think? "I just have had a lot more time to prepare, always love grass. I'm having fun."

That didn't escape Serena's attention after Venus' first-round victory. "She's definitely the player here to beat," Serena said two days ago. "She's moving forward, moving her feet. She looks really good. And she's definitely a force to be reckoned with here. It's hard to beat her at Wimbledon."

Serena caught her sister's act again Wednesday. They could meet again in another final. But her next match is Venus' focus right now.

"I'm not going to put any pressure on myself to have to win a title," she said. "I know I have the ability to win anywhere that I play, so I'll just have to go out there and play better than the next person every single time."

She played in the same newly designed-for-Wimbledon, pull-on corset dress she wore in her first match. She's proud of the fashion statement she is making. But she's clearly more interested in making a tennis statement in this tournament.